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| View Original: | Roman_-_Hand_of_Sabazius_-_Walters_542453_-_Three_Quarter_Left.jpg (1333x1800) | |||
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| Keywords: Roman - Hand of Sabazius - Walters 542453 - Three Quarter Left.jpg Many religions were syncretistic meaning that as they grew and came into contact with other religions they adopted new beliefs and modified their practices to reflect their changing environment Both Greek and Roman religious beliefs were deeply influenced by the so-called mystery religions of the East including the Egyptian cult of Isis which revealed beliefs and practices to the initiated that remained unexplained or mysterious to the uninitiated Most popular Roman cults had associations with these mystery religions and included the prospect of an afterlife Sabazius was an eastern god of fertility and vegetation who in Roman times was worshiped in association with other deities particularly Dionysus or Bacchus as he was generally known to the Romans His cult inspired a series of votive images of hands the fingers of which form the gesture of benediction still familiar in Christian practice Missing from this example is the small figure of Sabazius himself who was typically seated in the palm of the hand above the ram's head Around him are his major cult symbols including a snake a lizard and the heads of a lion a ram and a bull On the tip of the thumb is the pinecone of Dionysus The opening in the wrist shaped like a temple had a hinged door that revealed an unknown lost object perhaps a reclining mother and child as seen in other examples century 3 bronze cm 21 11 8 4 accession number 54 2453 20966 Sebastiano Lentini Italian Embassy Washington D C Walters Art Museum 1961 by purchase Museum purchase 1961 World of Wonder The Walters Art Gallery Baltimore 1971-1972 In Search of Ancient Treasure 40 Years of Collecting The Walters Art Gallery Baltimore 1978 place of origin Rome Italy Walters Art Museum license Ancient Roman art in the Walters Art Museum Media contributed by the Walters Art Museum needs category review Hand of Sabazios | ||||
